Black Cat
by Lady Valtaya
Summary: Naruto is on a mission when he stumbles upon Sasuke who has been missing for the last four years. Where has he been? Why doesn't he recognize him? But most of all why is Sasuke working as a male dancer at a place like Club Inferno?
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer**_: I, Lady Valtaya, do solemnly swear that Naruto and all of its characters are owned by the amazingly talented Masashi Kishimoto. I just love borrowing his characters to tell pervy stories because I'm worse than a female Jiraiya and I'm perfectly happy that way.

**Author's note**: I had every intention of making this just a one shot lemon. I just couldn't figure out a way to get my pretty Sasu-kitty half naked up on a stage for his silly blond Dobe without setting it up with a proper plot first. Yeah, its still gonna be porn, but this way it'll be _**hot**_ porn rather than corny porn. Consider this my farewell salute to Jiraiya, whom I already miss terribly in the manga.

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Black Cat 

Even in a crowded place like this, that's filled with attractive men and women, Sasuke is always the one who can't- or maybe just _won't_ be ignored. His eyes say 'stay back' because he's dangerous, yet he's beautiful too, like a gathering storm.

_One thing Iruka never told us back at the Ninja Academy- the girls wouldn't be the only ones able to use their bodies and seductive charms to disarm the enemy…_

I growl low in my throat when his pale, muscular figure suddenly leaps off the stage and lands lightly in a crouch. The back of his hair is longer now- going almost three inches past his shoulders but it only makes him more attractive since he's left it down. It looks so silky and smooth that I want to run my fingers through it.

_He's a cat; or at least he definitely was one in a past life._

He surveys the room with those dark, smoldering eyes before he _literally_ prowls over to a giggly bunch of mildly intoxicated young women who are here for a female version of a bachelor party. The bride-to-be squeals and almost feints as he pulls her chair away from the table from behind. He moves to stand in front of her; the poor girl is mesmerized. I would be too- after all that gorgeous set of abs that is now so close to her that she could lick the sweat off of them.

_Good thing for her future husband that she isn't as bold (or as kinky) as I am. _

He's not usually into girls, but I've noticed that this one is golden blonde and has really bright blue eyes like me. I happen to know he's into blue eyed blonds though, because he's been flirting with me most of the night so naturally I'm jealous now. I've always been possessive of this gorgeous bastard, but this is getting ridiculous. I've been hard since the moment I saw him on that stage and he's been flirting with the entire audience all night long.

I'm jealous of this girl, but I'm also fascinated too, Sasuke gently cups her chin with one hand and lifts her face to look up into his eyes. He brushes a silky lock of hair away from her face and the music starts as if that were some sort of a prearranged cue that had everyone in the room staring at my half naked former best friend.

I growl impatiently, the song is almost as beautiful as the way Sasuke moves to it. The rhythm is slow but the singer's voice is sultry and so passionate that I would die happily right now if I was the one getting this lap dance.

'_Sasuke is __**mine**__! And I want him. Now. Since I know I can't have him, I want a drink.' _

He's definitely a jungle cat- from that raven black hair, with its cobalt blue highlights, and the feral cunning in his eyes; he has all the animal grace of a panther. And, the way he is moving that sleek, muscular body right now would have to be the way he moves with his lovers too.

He stops during a pause in the song and leans down as if he were about to kiss her. His midnight eyes are half closed, his face is flushed and he looks so sexy even I'm forgetting to breathe. But then, the music continues and the spell is broken, He winks at the bride to be playfully and blows her a kiss as he heads for the locker room with a smirk, totally ignoring all the whistles and catcalls. He's due for another costume he can take off on stage, I growl again.

"He's amazing, isn't he?" Startled by the small innocent voice beside me, I look down- there's a girls that looks no older than 7 holding my hand gently- or at least two of my fingers. She's still staring at where Sasuke just disappeared.

"Y-Yeah. But- uh who are you?"

"I'm Shani." Something about her smile and the curious look in her eyes warns me that the kid isn't nearly as innocent as her huge violet eyes and long, curly blonde hair make her look. "What's your name?"

"I-I don't have time to talk right now…"

"Yes you do silly. If you want to meet him you're going to need my help. Bagheera can be a little cold to people he doesn't know."

"Bagheera?" I repeated blankly.

"Yeah. I call him Bagheera because he moves like the shadow cat in my favorite bedtime story. We had to call him something. Momma says he's got anme-sia."

"You mean amnesia?"

"Yeah! That's it. He was very sick when we found him and he almost died. Mom said he was poisoned and someone hurt his head. Luckily for him, my mom is very skilled with healing herbs and salves though she couldn't heal his memories. I think he's wonderful, but I worry about him sometimes. Guess what?"

In spite of myself I was intrigued by the sweet kid. She was friendly but intelligent as well as perceptive. "What?"

"I think he's a ninja! He's amazing at beating up the jerks that come in here and drink too much and get rough with my sister and the other girls."

"Really? You think he's a ninja?" I sat down in a chair and looked at her curiously. "What else do you know about him?"

"Yep," she said. "He's sad sometimes but he won't admit it. I think that's because he wants to remember what he forgot. You knew him before he came to us, didn't you?"

"W-What are you doing in a strip club at your age?" I was a little embarrassed that I couldn't hide my sudden attraction to Sasuke from such a small child. Again the mixture of intelligence and curiosity in her beautiful eyes struck me as strange, but I mostly I just couldn't believe anyone would let a 7 year old hang out in a place like this.

"My mom owns Club Inferno, her name is Kari. Anyway, it's okay that you like him, you know. Lots of people hit on Bagheera, he's really hot."

"Why did you come to talk to me though?"

"I could see it in your eyes that it really hurt you when he flirted with you earlier and then you realized he doesn't know you anymore. I'm sorry he forgot you; he's just naturally irresistible up there. "

She looked so genuinely sympathetic that that I wondered for a moment if she was trying to trick me. But no one in the crowded bar was paying attention to us, and her eyes never left mine.

"You _do_ know him, don't you?" She asked, giving me a small, hopeful smile.

"Yeah… I did once, a long time ago."

She giggled and hopped up and down excitedly. "I knew it! I knew it-"

A black shadow passed between Shani and I, and we both jumped I stood up ready to protect her. That was when I suddenly found myself looking into two ominously angry black eyes.

"Shani! What are you doing out on the floor _alone_?" Sasuke had picked her up, and backed off immediately. It was his voice, and I missed it so much...

My eyes stared at him, taking in his pale but muscular body, and the fiercely sexy eyes that glared at me. He shifted the little girl's weight onto his hip, pointedly placing himself between me and Shani. My heart froze when I felt the cursed seal's sleeping power when his vest and his hair were pushed back. That was definitely no tattoo. I felt numb and I realized I could hardly breathe as it sunk in that it was really him. There was no doubt about it. It wasn't some long lost illegitimate half brother I had seen up there on that stage- it was really Sasuke. It was him- but he really had no memory of me…

Meanwhile, the lost Leaf was still holding Shani protectively. "No! I'm not alone! Look, I found…"

"Kari's going to have kittens when she hears you've been out here talking to strangers, little minx." Sasuke growled. I could see by the way he was studying her that he was making sure she hadn't been hurt. Usually that would've pissed me off, but it was so unexpectedly cute to see Sasuke acting so protective of my new little friend that I couldn't help but smile.

Shani hugged him tightly. "I'm fine I promise! Just promise _me_ you won't tell mom. Now turn around! I want you to meet…"

"How many times have I told you to stop playing matchmaker, you little monster? It isn't funny." Sasuke growled, turning away from me.

"W-Wait! Bagheera, please! I have to tell you something!" She protested loudly, but Sasuke ignored her and continued back stage with the flailing child.

A year ago, he'd disappeared after killing Orochimaru; I couldn't believe it when I heard the news. But we also heard that Kabuto had attacked Sasuke and both of them were injured in the process, no one knew what to think. For months things had been in a state of confusion until Kabuto resurfaced and managed to gain some control over Sound village and its minions. The former medical ninja was reportedly being taken over and driven insane by the cells he'd injected himself with from Orochimaru's dead body. While Kabuto had healed and was becoming stronger than ever; Sasuke had vanished completely.

Everyone had told me Sasuke was probably dead. That between those two bastards, he'd been mortally wounded and crawled off to die somewhere in secret but I knew they were wrong. Maybe I just wanted them to be wrong, but I **knew** he had to be alive- after all, I knew him better than anyone, and how determined he was to kill his brother_. Nothing, I'd told myself, not even death could make him give up that ambition._

Strange to find Sasuke here, alive and well and apparently unaware of the absolute chaos he'd caused in the ninja world this time. But then, I knew if he had amnesia he could've wandered anywhere. I could tell by the closeness between Shani and Sasuke that at least here he was safe and being treated well. It was strange to see him and sense that he was happy, but I knew in my heart that Shani was right. Sasuke needed to know who he was- he needed to come home.

_But that isn't fair- how do you tell your best friend that the life he can't remember is one he'd never choose to come back to? His whole family died back when he was 7- murdered by his older brother, Itachi. In search of revenge, Sasuke followed Itachi's lead and became an S ranked missing ninja too. Now he's considered four years late for his execution but he can't even remember why? He'll think I'm crazy!_

'**You should trick him into coming home with you, Kit. I sense his body's Ki is abnormally strong but his chakra is completely dormant. Right now he poses no threat to any trained ninja. That is no doubt how he has escaped detection either from us or by the Sound's hunters for so long. This isn't exactly living the quiet life in some secluded monastery.' **The Kyuubi's voice in my head startled me.

I snorted and tried not to laugh though watching a pair of beautiful female dancers smear body paint on each other's midriffs on stage to _very_ enthusiastic cheering. 'You can say that again, fox.'

I had no idea where I thought Sasuke might have been for the last year, but this place was definitely not it. It did occur to me that we are in the Fire Country though. '_Had Sasuke been trying to come home when he finally passed out and was found here?'_

It gave me hope, and I clung to it desperately wondering what to do with him now.

On the one hand, he was an S class missing ninja meaning he presented a danger to the village if he wasn't eventually caught. But on the other hand, I felt torn because right now I knew more about his past than he did. I knew I couldn't find it in my heart to drag him off the stage, knock him unconscious and then drag him home in chains…

'_Yeah, I am in ANBU, but I'm not heartless- not yet anyway…'_

'**You could just try seducing him into making him **_**want**_** to follow you home.'** I frowned, that was the second time the demon had suggested underhanded tactics…

"I think I ought to be honest with him… he deserves the truth." I growled, unaware that I was actually saying the words out loud.

"And here I was thinking honest people no longer existed in this world anymore."

I jumped and turned around to see Sasuke's bottomless dark eyes looking at me mischievously. He was smirking and he looked unbelievably hot, I'm really getting more used to his longer hair. In fact, I was so busy admiring him that it took me a moment to realize he was offering me a drink.

"Thanks," I said, smiling.

He nodded coolly. "Shani refused to let go of my leg back stage until I _promised_ to come back over here and talk to you. So, what's so special about you?"

I didn't know what to say so I stalled. I took a big drink and forgot it wasn't just an ice water so I choked on the whiskey.

"Easy there," He purred, patting my back. I got the feeling he was used to inspiring this sort of a reaction in people and suddenly I had to get him out of that bar. This was his domain and I needed his undivided attention.

"We have to talk." I said, grabbing his arm. He tensed, but followed me anyway. I dragged him to the nearest exit sign and then out into the darkness. The night air was chilly, but pleasantly electric. It smelled like rain and thunder were approaching. I liked that much better than the scent of cigarettes and too much alcohol.

"So talk already, this isn't exactly a nice neighborhood, in case you haven't noticed." Sasuke growled impatiently.

I nodded, but my mind was still working feverishly for something to say. Sasuke wasn't known for his patience; I was running out of time… "Shani told me that you have amnesia? I guess it's really true since you really don't recognize me, do you?"

"Sure I do. You've been watching me dance all night on stage. Look, you're cute and all so I can see why she likes you, but this has been tried before, so don't bother." He glared at me, even without the Sharingan, those eyes have power. "That was really pathetic by the way, tricking Shani into introducing us."

"Sasuke wait! She came to me; I wouldn't try to trick you or her like that." I got in front of him with a burst of chakra speed, but he only glared at me and started to go around the building. "Please you have to listen to me! You and I- we're teammates. We're best friends and… practically brothers. I've been searching for you for four years. I can't leave here without-"

"Four years?"

"Yes. He's right you know, Sasuke-kun." The voice came from the alley to our left. "This is Uzumaki Naruto, you two are- or _were_ anyway, best friends. Naruto is supposed to be on a mission but I knew he'd forget about killing me if I led him to _you_, Sasuke."

"What are you talking about?" He looked confused.

Okay, yeah, I _am _overlooking my mission, but Vayne- the ninja I was originally assigned to kill isn't near the threat level of an S ranked target like Sasuke. The bigger threat always takes priority- especially since my pain in the ass assignment was obviously trying to confuse and provoke him…

"Think back to the day you woke up here, _Bagheera_." The mysterious voice from the darkness laughed. "You were found dying on the outskirts of this little fork in the road village. You were injured because you are a ninja- or at least you were one, before you lost your memories and your pride, Sasuke-kun. Naruto should kill you right where you stand, and take your head back to Konoha. You're a traitor to the Hidden Leaf Village where you were born- but you also betrayed _us_; I'm part of the Sound Village. You _do_ remember, don't you, Sasuke-kun, _four years ago_- the day you came to serve Orochimaru? In the end you killed him; because that's what you Uchihas do. You're a born killer, just like that evil brother of yours."

Sasuke was shaking his head but I couldn't be sure how much he'd heard of what the man had even said. I'd never felt as sorry for anyone in my entire life as I did for Sasuke at that moment. "Don't listen to him Sasuke! You're just a coward, Vayne! Get out here and fight me you second rate asshole!"

"Not yet. I was the only one out of my tracking unit to make it this far, Sasuke; even then I almost died too. So when Kabuto refused to heal me, because he was busy experimenting on his own body with Orochimaru's cells; I left and I kept your location a secret. I told the bastard I lost your trail after the final battle in the woods 40 miles away. So now I don't care who kills you. I just want you dead."

"Shut up!" Sasuke shouted.

'**Get ready to move, Kit! Your Uchiha's chakra is definitely stirring.'**

I didn't even have time to nod though before Sasuke bolted into the alley and crushed the crippled man with a kick that knocked him through the old crate he'd been sitting on and sent him skidding down the cobblestones.

'**I'd say he's awakened the Sharingan.'**

I nodded, but my mind was still half listening to Vayne trying to needle Sasuke.

"Yes, do it! Kill me, Sasuke-kun," the man laughed in spite of his broken ribs, as Sasuke came toward him slowly. "I'm a fallen ninja too but at least I'm not some pole whore. Now your village will know where you've been all this time and the only thing I regret is not being able to tell your brother where you've been. Itachi allowed the high and mighty Uchiha clan only one survivor, and you grew up to be a stripper. Your noble bloodline must be sooo disappointed. Then again, by now you must be used to selling your body for power, getting ryo probably seems no different to you, right?"

"Shut up, bastard. I knew that you'd tell me sooner or later what you know of my past," Sasuke laughed; his chakra felt strange to me. His deep voice was little more than a husky purr, but he sounded so cold and humorless that I shuddered as I watched him crush the former ninja's throat in one hand. "You've been watching me here long enough without ever speaking to me."

'**The idiot had a point. Sasuke's an Uchiha alright; it's like they were bred to possess that killer instinct.'**

"He's not some monster- you heard what that bastard said to him!" Sasuke's chakra flickered strangely as I watched him drop the corpse on the ground. When he turned back toward me I could see the cursed seal on the side of his neck- it was glowing orange. And he clutched it, grimacing in pain. "See, look it's the fucking seal!"

'**I never said it wasn't justified. He's just a ninja whether he remembers it or not!'**

"Shut up, damn fox!" I snapped, catching Sasuke before he collapsed. "Even you know he was never like this before the cursed seal was put on him. I have to get him home."

'**The cursed seal doesn't turn people evil, Kit. It only amplifies what is already there. Sasuke hid his true nature from everyone- even himself until Orochimaru gave him the seal.'**

"I know he was hiding a lot of anger, but he really cared about me! He did or he would've killed me and you know it! He cared about our whole team, we were happy once and now he's learned to care about Shani too. I'm not giving up! I can't, because…"

'**You love him.'**

I couldn't answer that, but I was shocked that Kyuubi said it so quietly- almost… sadly. I couldn't bring myself to ask the Bijuu why, though. Instead, I put Sasuke's arm over my shoulder and lept up onto the roof. From there, I found the quickest way out of the village and took him into the forest where we could talk. We didn't want to be in that alley if anyone had heard the skirmish and decided to investigate.

**

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Author's Note**: Everything is canon up until manga chapter 346. 

In this AU, when they met in the hall, Sasuke looked injured enough that Kabuto felt lucky and attacked him from behind. Kabuto learned he'd seriously underestimated Sasuke's strength. He was _forced_ to experiment with Orochimaru's cells just to survive. Sasuke had to retreat with Vayne's hunter team on his tail so he didn't have time to gather Suigetsu and the others.

The white snake's regenerative powers he got from Orochimaru are the only things that allowed Kari nurse Sasuke back to health. He still has it without his memories because in the manga, it is shown to be more powerful while he sleeps. This means he has no control over that ability; it works as a separate entity without him focusing on it.

Itachi for his part doesn't know where Sasuke's been because he simply doesn't care. Sasuke doesn't have the Mangekyou Sharingan yet so he isn't ready for their fight yet and Itachi won't seek him out without further prompting.

Shall I continue? Please review and tell me.


	2. Bleak reunion?

Chapter 2

**_'You love him.'_**

_I couldn't answer that, but I was shocked that Kyuubi said it so quietly- almost… sadly. I couldn't bring myself to ask the Bijuu why, though. Instead, I wrapped my arm around his waist and put Sasuke's arm over my shoulder and jumped up onto the roof. From there, I found the quickest way out of the village and took him out into the forest where we could talk. We didn't want to be in that alley if anyone had heard the skirmish and decided to investigate. _

I eased Sasuke down onto a tree branch and settled down beside him. "Just rest, like I said, we need to talk."

"What in the fucking hell just happened to me? W-Why did I just…"

"You'll feel better in a while; just try to relax. Vayne was just an asshole who's been up to no good in this area for months. You've been an avenger for about as long as I've known you- and that's a long time, Sasuke. We grew up in the same town, went to school together and even got assigned to the same Genin team. That's no tattoo on your neck. The cursed seal amplifies your anger and aggression; it is hurting you right now because you were trying to _resist_ killing him. Even though your mind doesn't remember who you are yet, you're still a ninja."

"Why should I trust you? He said I betrayed you, that you should kill me and-"

"Well, he also urged you to kill him. What part of that sounds like he was mentally stable to you?"

"Okay, but you haven't exactly assured me that I'm innocent."

I looked down, "I can't lie to you, Sasuke. It really hurt when you left our village, because you never said goodbye- not even to me or Sakura. You drove me absolutely crazy sometimes, because we really did argue a lot, but I just never expected to loose my best friend and certainly not to that creepy freak Orochimaru…"

"Who is this Orochimaru guy anyway?"

"Orochimaru? He was only one of the most powerful people in our whole world- and he wanted to take over your body. You killed him though, so I guess maybe you were training even harder than any of us ever realized." I had an idea, one that might help him remember something…

"Watch this." I gathered my chakra and made the seals that would change my appearance and I focused on the image of the dark Sannin. Tall, pale and lean, with long, coal black hair and bright amber eyes; it made my skin crawl just to look like that asshole. I was glad to change back a moment later. Equally unnerving for me was how easily my chakra mimicked the poisonous, manipulative feeling of danger that his had carried for so long…

Sasuke seemed to shake off his surprise pretty easily. "How did you do that?"

"I just used my chakra to make a disguise that looked like him. So, did that help? Do you remember that guy?"

Sasuke was silent for about a minute and a half. "I see him in my nightmares sometimes, he… he's always surrounded by snakes."

I nodded and we both smiled. "Yeah, that's him alright!"

_'He is so beautiful,'_ the smile was beautiful but he looked away pretty quickly. I'd seen his condescending little smirk more times than I care to remember, but his unguarded smile was just as attractive.

"But still, if I hurt you, why are you being so nice to me?"

"You're just one of my precious people, Sasuke. I kind of understand why you left, but it still hurts to remember it. So, now what do you want to know?"

"I'm not sure I want to hear anymore right now." He sounded tired, and I guess I shouldn't have been surprised given everything that Vayne had hit him with and my revelation that most of it was true… It was a lot to dump on someone who'd been living a completely different life for an entire year- especially a life that was so much happier than the one he'd lost…

For the first time, I felt horribly guilty for finding him and it must've shown on my face because Sasuke smirked. "So, didn't he say you're supposed to be wondering what I've been doing in a place like Club Inferno?"

"Well, it looked like you were just having fun to me," I shrugged; then I realized what I'd said, I sighed... '_Okay, Kyuubi, say it. I've officially been Ero-Sennin's student for too long, haven't I?'_

**"Relax Kit; the village may shudder at the idea, but I'm with you on this one. Who knew there was such a playful exhibitionist inside of the Last Uchiha..."**

_'Why do I get the feeling you did?' I heard the demon chuckle in my mind so rather than wait for his response, I growled. 'Still, Sasuke willingly in the same sentence with the word fun- or playful though? I mean, come on, this was the kid who was so obsessed with getting stronger that when we were 13, he abandoned the village and our team to spend three years with that slimy son of a bitch Orochimaru…' _

**"And you've been moping about it ever since, Kit, but it looks like _that_ situation turned out pretty well, all things considered, doesn't it?"**

I smiled; secretly I felt just a little bit grateful for the support from the demon… but Sasuke's expression was dubious. "So you're not going to freak out that I'm a… what did he call it? Oh yeah, a pole whore?"

"Come on, all you did was dance! I never expected to find you in a place like that, but I really liked it. It was nice to see you actually having fun for a change."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when we were kids, you were shy so I never got to know you when we were really little. But after your family was killed; you turned really cold and distant. Everybody in town seemed to kind of admire that strength about you- they talked about you like you were some kind of a noble, honorable prince though- after all, you _are_ Uchiha Sasuke. I don't know how else to explain it, but on the outside you really looked like a big, perfect jerk most of the time. You preferred to work and even train alone, but you never did anything to get into trouble or embarrass your family name- seriously; even your _table manners_ were perfect. Well, unless you and I were trying to see which one of us could eat the fastest-"

He snorted at that, but I ignored him and continued. "You were distant because you were afraid of being hurt again, but no one else saw the anger building inside you until Orochimaru put his cursed seal on you. Anyway, I saw the real you because **_everything_** was a competition between us. We were both orphans, you know; I never knew my family at all, but yours was stolen from you back when you were seven, and you dedicated your whole life to getting stronger because you needed to kill their murderer. Orochimaru and Kabuto were both pretty powerful- I've fought both of them, but I knew they couldn't kill you. You had to be alive because I always knew I'd find you again someday."

"It sounds to me like the girls weren't the only ones with a crush on me, _Naruto_." Sasuke purred. He looked devilishly mischievous. Tall, dark and too sinfully handsome, I was getting an embarrassing hard on just from looking at the cocky Teme; he didn't look down, but I got the feeling he knew anyway.

He chuckled. "There's still something about you that I don't quite get though- were you and I lovers?"

_'What?'_ I heard the question, but I couldn't quite believe my ears.

**'I see he's still refreshingly direct, for a human…'** I heard in my head from Kyuubi. As much as I wanted to shush the damn fox I couldn't ignore Sasuke's question.

"N-No…" I shook my head emphatically.

He leaned toward me slowly and that wicked smirk widened. "That's disappointing."

"It is?" I stared at him, and realized only after I said it, that I sounded completely lost because I wanted him to lean in and kiss me…

He nodded, "because I was hoping we could pick up where we left off if we were..."

"Now?" I wondered. '_It's hard to breathe, much less think straight when I look into those eyes…'_

"I want you," he nodded. "I think it's the whiskers, I want to pet you, _Naruto_."

**"Well, two more points for the Uchiha…" **

I growled, the demon's comment shook me out of my confused daze. "This isn't the time or the place for a tryst, you know!"

Sasuke laughed, and I blushed, I hadn't realized I'd said anything out loud. "That's interesting; I'm not used to being turned down."

**"I believe him," **Kyuubi said dryly.** "He almost had you, Kit. I should've known all along he'd be the one seducing you."**

Okay, now I _really_ wanted to smack the damn fox, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that the Bijuu would end up being right. "Can't you be serious right now? God I never thought I'd say that to you… Look- I'm not… exactly refusing- it's just that there's still a lot that you don't know, Sasuke."

"I am serious. I saw those looks you were giving me while I was on stage all night; I _know_ that you want me. You know, you're especially cute when you're jealous, Dobe."

_'Dobe?'_ I didn't especially like the revelation that he'd been making me jealous _on purpose_ all night, but I still just stared at him for a moment, startled. "Dobe?"

He frowned. "Sorry, I don't know what made me say that…"

"Actually I'm happy because that was always your nickname for me." I almost hugged him just for saying it, but I smirked instead. "My nickname for you was Teme."

"I called you a blockhead and you called me a bastard? Doesn't seem like a fair trade…"

I laughed again. "Oh but it fits though doesn't it? After all, you just admitted you _liked_ making me jealous."

"I guess I can't argue with that. So what are you going to do about it, Dobe?"

"What can I do about it? I mean, it's over, right?" His expression was suddenly one of guarded disbelief, so I changed the subject before I could embarrass myself again. "So you really stayed because you like it here?"

"Well, yeah, but what else could I do? I mean, I don't remember ever being good at anything besides fighting but dancing was actually really fun and easy when I trained with Blaze so staying seemed natural at the time. Being up there is still a rush, but lately it isn't enough anymore. I've been feeling restless again for weeks, and I know it's because I can't stop wondering about this other life I used to have… Did I- ever have any hobbies or anything- I mean _besides_ fighting?"

"No. When we were younger all you ever wanted to do was train, get stronger and test yourself by fighting."

"That's it?"

"Yeah." For a minute he looked sad, and I suppose I did too.

"So, wait a minute. That guy, Vayne- he said something about someone named Itachi- if everyone knows that he killed my family, how did he get away with it?"

"Sasuke- I'm not sure this is the right time to tell you more about him…"

"Why?"

"Because Uchiha Itachi is your older brother, and he's definitely one of the other most dangerous people in our world."

"Wait, you said 'in our world again'- what do you mean?"

"We're ninjas, Sasuke. We exist in the shadows and because we're from Konoha, we fight to protect the Fire Country without upsetting the daily lives of most of its citizens."

His expression said he didn't believe me. "I've always heard that ninjas are supposed to be cunning and dangerous though. You seem pretty straight forward to me, so how did _you_ ever make it as a ninja?"

I grinned wickedly. "Usually ninjas work in teams. In our team you were the smart one, I'm the dangerous one."

He smirked. "Really? You look like the cute, innocent one to me."

I was about to yell at him when I realized we were leaning into each other again.

Being this close to Sasuke-teme for this long without touching him was seriously killing me. I'm still hard from when he almost kissed me earlier. I really hate being underestimated, and knowing that he was making me jealous on purpose only makes me more determined to show him that he's making a mistake by taking me lightly.

I grabbed his leather vest and yanked him closer to me. I covered his lips with mine, they were smooth and warm and I nipped his bottom lip gently before I started sucking on it. He chuckled softly, purring like a well fed cat as he parted his lips for me. I pushed into his mouth roughly, but he didn't even try to turn the tables on me. He only leaned into me more and sucked on my tongue teasingly.

**"That's kinky; he wants you to take charge so let's not disappoint him, eh."**

_'I hadn't planned on it.'_ I growled and pulled Sasuke into my lap and kissed him again. He'd admitted that he wants me, but I had no idea he was willing to bottom of course, that only made me want him more.

**"Easy Kit, he's just testing you."**

_'What do you mean testing me?'_ I snapped. Trying to kiss and talk to my inner demon at the same time wasn't particularly easy- even when the man I'm kissing is the one person I know I can't live another day without.

**"I suppose as an exotic dancer he's probably just bored with people who expect him to initiate everything all the time. So he probably wants to know if we are as good as you look."**

I hated to admit it, but that made a surprising amount of sense to me, so I decided to show Sasuke that I can be just as sexy as he was up on that stage. Luckily, I have an advantage- since out here; I can kiss him and touch him the way I wanted to earlier. Sasuke stayed right where I'd put him, and it wasn't easy to hold still while I was kissing him, but I did my best to slow down.

I love the taste of him- it reminds me of the little creamy butter mints on the bar's counter back at the club. I wonder if he'll ever remember that he didn't like sweets when he was younger, but I'm not going to tease him about it. There's something sinfully delicious about the idea of a candied Sasuke that I really find incredibly arousing.

I still wasn't quite sure what to make of his uke-like behavior, but I liked it. I'm also drawn to his normally dominant tendencies. I suppose that really just means I'm hot for him no matter which one of us ends up on top. I guess that also means it's no accident that we've always been so close; which just makes it embarrassing for me that I had to watch him strip down on a stage- more than once before it finally started to sink in…

Our kisses were hot before, but Sasuke started to respond even better when I slowed down. I smirked, as I felt him shift his hips forward, grinding his lithe body against mine. I moaned, but I kept my tongue in his mouth. Now we were kissing softly, our tongues were stroking and rubbing gently against each other. I pulled back slowly, a little at a time, but rather than break the kiss completely, I nibbled delicately at his lower lip between our soft, sensual kisses, I'm hoping to tempt a response from him and he knows it.

It seemed like it was far away, but I felt a sudden flicker of chakra, and before I realized that chakra wasn't Sasuke's something hit me in the back of the head. As I slumped into his arms, I heard him arguing with someone female, and I recognized the name Kari just as I blacked out…

* * *

I shuddered violently at the horrible rumbling noise that seemed to surround me completely. Even as I struggle to open my eyes but all I see is the grass I'm laying in. I'm still shaking because of the cold rain.

_'My head hurts…' _Brilliant observation, but it was the best I could come up with. I'm rapidly getting drenched with all this steady rain.

"I love you like you are my own son, so I don't even want to think about what they'll do to you if you go back after all this time." The voice sounded far away at first, but as I woke up a bit more, it was clearly the woman who knocked me out.

"For the tenth time, he wasn't hurting me, Kari-" Definitely Sasuke. We're still out in the woods and I squirmed around until I managed to sit up. I can't see them, but they are nearby.

The woman snorted. "I know that now, but I'm still afraid that you aren't safe here anymore. If he found you, then someone else could too."

My head hurts, but my arms hurt too- that's because my hands are tied behind my back and I can't move them. There is chakra in the cords binding my hands so I can't get them off.

The woman must be one of the ninja spies who live outside the Hidden Villages. But still, something about her words set me desperately on edge, but for a moment, I wasn't quite sure why…

"I feel like can trust him."

"That isn't the point. He's from the Hidden Village of Konoha- sooner or later he'll try to take you back there."

"You knew all along who he is, didn't you?" I was so angry that I couldn't stop myself from speaking.

"You're awake?" The woman who peered around the tree at me looked like an older version of Shani. She was beautiful with short blonde hair that was tipped in violet streaks that matched her vivid amethyst eyes but she wore a simple black bodysuit and a flack vest. She also wore a headband with the symbol of Konoha upon it.

"Fuck that!" I snapped, I could feel the Kyuubi's chakra giving me strength, threatening to bust loose. I knew it would be dangerous to us the demon's power, but my anger was justified. She was a Leaf and I was being betrayed... "You knew all along and you never told anyone? You never even told Sasuke the truth? You're a Leaf, but you hid him from _us_ too?"

She looked down and hugged her arms. "How else could I protect him? I couldn't let any of the villages take him away to be executed after he save my life and my daughter."

"What?" Surprise gave me back control over my anger.

"On our way home to the bar with a load of supplies, the horse spooked and Shani fell out of the wagon unconscious. I realized too late that we were being attacked by bandits... If Bagheera- I mean if Sasuke hadn't…" The woman was crying as she told the story and I found myself believing her. "He was badly hurt and already suffering from numerous infected wounds, but he spent the last of his chakra protecting us! I had to do something, so I brought him home with us. It was two days before the word got out that Uchiha Sasuke had left Sound village after he killed Orochimaru… I guess by then I'd gotten used to my story that he was just a boy that'd been a captive of the bandits who attacked us and that we all escaped together. When he awoke with no memory of who he was or what'd happened, I told him the same story I'd told everyone in the area who asked… Even Shani doesn't remember what really happened that night."

"But why didn't you tell him the truth later?" I growled.

"It seemed too late- I'm sorry I deceived you, Sasuke. I know that you left the Leaf village, but I believe in my heart that you're a good person or you wouldn't have tried so hard to save the lives of two strangers. Even here with us you've always been stubborn and independent, but you usually have good reasons. Every ninja village needs order to thrive though and that's why they need to make an example of you. I didn't want that to happen. I care for you too much."

"You're still talking about the Leaf village, right?" I asked. "Come on, Konoha's not _that_ bad! Granny Tsunade's the Hokage and okay she seems like a hard ass at times, but she's really an amazing person."

"Sasuke's been condemned just like his brother- he's wanted dead or alive and you know as well as I do that the village would prefer dead. I am glad to see that he was found by someone who cares about him too, but I'm not sure that you can protect him if he goes back."

"Why would I need to be protected anyway?" Sasuke asked testily.

"You are one of the best taijutsu fighters I've ever had the pleasure of watching, but even that is only a shadow of your real power Sasuke. I've also seen you use exceptionally powerful genjutsu and ninjutsu as well. Even your Sharingan is still sleeping- if I began retraining you to use your energy right now, it will be almost a year before you have your powers back completely." Kari told him gently. "Your body and your Ki are both incredibly strong but you need to teach your body to learn to focus that energy into chakra again so that you can defend yourself."

"Sasuke and I grew up together, let him train with me," I said.

Kari scowled thoughtfully at me, clearly she didn't seem to trust me yet, but she didn't out right refuse either, which was a good sign- I hoped, since she drew a kunai and came toward me.

She staggered suddenly and through the rain I saw two small shapes flashed out of the shadows with impossible speed- and embedded themselves deep in her chest- kunai. There were shurikens and a few kunai sticking out of her back too as she fell down.

Sasuke clearly wanted to fight; I could feel him channeling anger through the cursed seal again and turning it into raw power.

"Don't do it! Stay right here with Kari, it's your turn to take care of her now," I said, grabbing his arm.

"Naruto? We're here for you!" It was Shikamaru under the raccoon mask, but I regretted not knowing the other two on our misson better. I also knew somehow that even Shikamaru didn't recognize Sasuke, though it was hard to see much of anything in all the rain.

"No!" I shouted. This was getting out of hand rapidly, but apparently the rest of my team still believed that I was in danger.

For several seconds, time seemed to slow down almost to a stop.

"Mother!" A second black garbed kunoichi dropped from the tree limb above me and slit the throat of one of my teammates with kunai. She had blonde hair and amethyst eyes too. She crouched low between her mother and the team, but she was standing in my shadow and I looked away feeling helpless when she realized she couldn't move and was hit in the back with a sword.

With him helping her, Kari was very pale but she struggled to her feet and looked brokenly at what I assumed was Shani's big sister. She pushed Sasuke away, taking a sword thrust that was clearly meant for him. "Run," she whispered through the pain.

Sasuke saw her fall, impaled on the sword and he started backing away looking at the two bodies before him. Two of the masked shinobi tried to grab him, but Sasuke twisted loose effortlessly, throwing them both to the ground. The power of the seal made him dangerously strong even without his chakra, but he was still shaking his head slowly- I wanted to reach for him but my hands were still tied, and I couldn't believe it when he finally turned and ran away deeper into the trees. I could see he had no idea where he was going and he didn't care. There was something strange about his expression- something distant yet terrified.

**"Watching them die probably caused the memory of his parents being murdered to resurface, find him _now_, Kit."**

_'I will,'_ I promised quietly.

Someone slashed the ropes binding my hands and I stood up. I was so angry and worried that I didn't even know what to say to my team. I know they thought they were rescuing me, but I didn't believe that Kari would've hurt me. "Bastards. Get over to Club Inferno in the village and check on a little girl there named Shani. Take care of her until I get back, because she's an orphan now too. Just leave Sasuke to me."

"S-Sasuke? Seriously?" Shikamaru took his mask off and sighed. "Damn, I just knew that guy looked kinda familiar but... What the hell did she have you tied up for? The woman is like the Fire Country's best border spy; she was a friend of Asuma for years."

"I don't have time for this, Shika."

He nodded reluctantly. "Troublesome, but you better fill me in on all this when you get back then."

It wasn't like the genius to listen to one of my ideas, but I knew he really trusted me because he turned to the village with a sigh.

"Believe it!" I called over my shoulder with a wide grin.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I just loooove original characters! I like to kill them… blinks was that out loud? Err… My poor little baby Shani, I'm so mean and she's all alone now… why does my muse have to be so damn violent??

Oh well, don't forget to review!


	3. Orphans

**Author's note**: See, I have not forgotten about this story. I just wanted to take my time with it, hopefully you'll agree that it was worth it. Light citrus, but possible tissue warnings abound in this chapter.

Black Cat

Chapter 3

_He saw the body of his adoptive mother fall and felt as if he was the one with the sword buried in his gut._

"_Run," He obeyed the soft spoken command without really knowing why. There was just a terrible feeling that he had been there before… _

The scene seemed to shift, and it was still dark outside, but in his mind there was no rain- just an ominous silver moon, shining high over head. _He was running, his breathing and his footsteps seemed desperately quick and he skidded to a stop in front of a door- he noticed he was barely taller than the heavy door's handles._

"_Mother? Father? Where are you?" Even his voice was small and frightened._

"_Sasuke? No! Don't come in here!" The voice of the woman who answered sounded desperate… _

_He reached for the handle instinctively, determined to make certain they were okay, but he paused because of the sudden sound of something shattering loudly on the other side. _

_More sounds followed- and then, nothing…_

_He waited, his heart was beating incredibly fast and seconds of heavy, ominous silence ticked by in his head like an eternity. Finally, sick with guilt and fear, he grasped the door handle, and pulled. His chest felt tight and constricted as if it hurt just to keep breathing. His feet felt heavy, as if each of his limbs were made of wood, but that was nothing compared to the icy terror that churned restlessly in his stomach._

_It seemed to take his eyes an eternity to adjust to the darkness in the silent room._

_A beautiful pale woman with long, silky black hair lay on the floor- her blood seeped into the expensive rug from numerous wounds. Draped protectively over her slim form was a dark haired man with a stern face- he too was dead but still bleeding out… _

Sasuke shivered. _He didn't want to see anymore, but he knew them- he knew their faces and their hair, the slant of their eyes. This wasn't a cheesy scene from some movie he'd seen- he could still smell the blood on them- these people- they were his parents!_

He looked away, stumbling as he shook his head, trying to clear it.

He couldn't keep up with his own thoughts- this was all _wrong_, wasn't it? Who would do such a horrible thing? Yet he _**knew**_ somehow that this was real. These thoughts- they were memories of what had happened to him before. Everyone he cared about was dead- what he'd been told- it was true… and now he was alone again- but why Kari? Why _now_?

"_Because you're weak, foolish little brother."_

He shuddered; the cold voice in his mind that uttered those words was both familiar and malicious and he tried to pretend that he hadn't heard it. He didn't want to admit that this same voice and a pair of burning red eyes still haunted some of his darkest nightmares…

He was still caught between the present and the past, and he found himself stumbling out of the trees, approaching a river; he collapsed at the edge of the water. He didn't know where he was, but he didn't care…

These memories that he'd lost were awful- how old had he been? Naruto said he was 7? Well Naruto hadn't warned him that he'd been right there- close enough to stop it- if he'd been older and stronger… and maybe braver?

"Sasuke?"

* * *

As soon as I spoke, I could see from the tension in his muscles that he was thinking about running away again. Instead, he turned and glared over his shoulder at me. I almost smirked, _that_ was the Sasuke I'd missed for so long. Even though I've got him cornered, he maintains an aura of defiance that still takes my breath away…

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, that wasn't supposed to happen. I thought my teammates would still be busy with their…"

"You're sorry?" Sasuke snapped. I wasn't surprised when his eyes flashed blood red. "In one night I've become a wanted fugitive; my adoptive family is as dead as my real one, my only talent seems to be letting the people I care about **die** and you're _sorry_? Fuck that!"

"Yes, I am." I said it quietly, with a gentleness that I hoped he would sense was genuine. The Sharingan was still active, but when he looked at me, I could see that he wanted to believe me- that he could almost hope that everything would be alright…

I took another step toward him.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously and he took a step toward me- his body adopting an aggressive fighting stance with all the grace of a leopard. Kari had warned him that I'm far stronger than he is, right now but he's much too angry to care.

I stopped with a sigh. "I needed to talk to you, because I didn't want to hurt you with this. I wanted to avoid hurting anyone. Vayne complicated things and I'm sorry about that- but he's already dead and I'm _**not**_ sorry I found you. I will never regret this. I've spent the last four years looking for you. As I said, you're my best friend, my brother- you're everything to me Sasuke."

Sasuke eyed me warily. Right then, he reminded me of an animal- cornered and confused but still stubbornly torn between its freedom and accepting help…

"Leave me alone." I'm sure he meant it to sound venomous, but I almost laughed- it sounded like he was pouting.

Instead, I reminded myself that if I blew this; I'd never give me another chance with him, and it would be my fault… "I can't- you've been alone too long already don't you see that?" In spite of his scowl, I could see his shoulders began to relax ever so slightly.

"What the fuck could you possibly know about how I feel? Who have you ever lost?" He snarled.

He started to walk away from me and I growled as I threw myself at him.

We wrestled around on the ground for a moment; he'd been expecting that, I could tell because he easily used my momentum to turn us over, and he tried to punch me. I blocked, but I was determined not to hurt him. I used my chakra to strengthen my body and since he couldn't do the same without tapping into the cursed seal, I pinned him easily.

"I lost _you_, Teme," I whispered against his neck and he stopped struggling. "Don't you get it? I lost you when I didn't have anybody else to loose!"

"Well," he growled. "What are you going to do with me now?"

He was still scowling, so I blushed because that question sounded breathlessly sexy- though that wasn't intentional since we were just fighting. We were muddy and covered in scrapes from the rocks and both of us were soaking wet, but to me he still looked gorgeous. I was also suddenly very aware of how warm his body felt under mine.

I shivered, but it didn't have anything to do with the cold rain falling on us.

He growled. "Don't play with me- answer..."

"I have to take you back…" His eyes narrowed dangerously, but I was ready when he started struggling again.

"**That wasn't the best way to tell him, Kit."**

'_But it is the truth, so shut up and let me handle it.'_

It surprised me when the demon settled down and didn't comment again, but I still had an extremely pissed off Sasuke on my hands- err well, between my legs, actually…

"Asshole…" He hissed.

We were both already half hard, that became painfully obvious when he arched, pushing his sleek body hard against mine. He's strong- even without his chakra to back it up, a normal person wouldn't have been able to hold him down like this, but I've never been normal. He was trying to wriggle free, but all he was really doing, was turning me on with all that squirming. So, I tried to distract him instead. "It's the promise I made when you left. I swore I'd bring you home and I can't go back on my word. I can't do that because-"

He laughed bitterly.

"I'm serious, Teme. I won't loose you again. The people of Konoha Village have always prayed for your safe return, and when we tell Granny Tsunade what happened, the Council Elders won't dare try to condemn you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because they know they can't handle fighting both of us at once. I love you, Sasuke. I'd die for you."

He snorted, and tried again to shove me away. "You shouldn't make promises like that in the heat of battle. Someone might… hold you to it."

"I'm counting on it," I purred. I like this. The more he squirms the harder I'm getting. I've finally got him this time and I want him to know it; I need him to see that he's always been mine. I meant everything I said too, but now that I've told him how I feel, I'm happy. It's like this terrible weight that I've been carrying around all this time has suddenly been lifted off of my shoulders, and I'm not ashamed of my body. "Hold onto me, Sas'ke."

His expression is guarded, but he's getting hard too. He scowls, but I like the way his body feels against mine. I lean down to nip his exposed collarbone and he shivers. He's hot and cold, soft and hard at the same time and I don't know what's gotten into me- but I like it. He moans softly and I can't help smirking a little as I do it again. I soothe the bite with my tongue and I look up to see him watching me with those sultry dark eyes.

The desire I see makes me smile, gawd, he looks so hot right now. I know I'll never forget this moment as long as I live, but for right now, I just want to keep touching him, tasting him and listening to those beautiful moans…

Sasuke shivered again but I felt Kyuubi stirring inside me again with a dark chuckle. **"As much as I agree that your Uchiha would look delectable getting fucked into the forest floor, he isn't dressed for this weather and unlike you, right now he can't even use his chakra to help keep his body temperature stable either."**

'What?' I licked Sasuke's neck up to the shell of his ear. Sasuke arched his back, and closed his eyes as he moaned with pleasure.

"**He's freezing. You should be more considerate of your mate, Kit."**

The demon was right, Sasuke wasn't wearing much to start with, and everything was drenched with the rain, his skin was warming quickly where our bodies were touching, but we were both colder than normal. Sasuke was kissing me passionately, but I don't want him to get sick. I also knew he was probably in shock from what just happened to his surrogate family. I tried to pull away, but Sasuke grasped my hips and pulled me back down on top of him, earning a groan from both of us.

'Mate? Never mind- just shut up! You were the one telling me I should seduce him and trick him into coming home with me…'

"**I still think it would've been easier than your way."**

'My way is working so far.' I snapped, but groaned when Sasuke thrust his hips up into mine- his hands found their way into my windbreaker while we were kissing too.

"**Don't underestimate him. You're a very long way from Konoha right now."**

I growled; the demon was right again.

"Teme, hold still!" I loved Sasuke's demanding passion, but I shouldn't have started this here. I always feel too much when I'm with him and to find him so unexpectedly hasn't really even sunk in yet. I know he needs the intimacy but he's not the only one that's vulnerable right now. "We have to stop!"

We were both breathing heavily and he growled but looked away when he realized he still couldn't move until I decided to let him go.

"We need to head back." I said it as gently as I could, and nuzzled his neck with my nose and lightly kissed his chin. "I want you, but not here. Not like this, you're freezing, and well… we need to check on Shani."

* * *

Shani could tell that something was wrong when a man wearing a Leaf forehead protector walked in the front door. She'd been left with the head bouncer, but he always let her watch the floor through the curtains, and that was what she was doing now.

"Come on Bagheera." She whispered. That had been her mantra since the beautiful raven disappeared with Naruto out the side door. "You have to come back with Naruto so you can find mom! I've never seen her leave that fast."

Her heart leapt happily when she realized she recognized the new arrival. He wore his Leaf around his arm and his lazy attitude with his pineapple-head hair always made her laugh. "Shikamaru! Ping? Shika's here! I want to go say hi!"

"Alright kiddo, but I'd feel better if you brought him back there until your mom or Blaze gets back, okay?" The bouncer was a big man who was eating a sandwich and leaned lazily on the wall next to her as he watched the stage and the club's patrons.

"I will!" She cried and became a blur of golden curls that bounded between the tables and chairs only to latch onto Shikamaru's leg. "Hi Lazy! Come with me! Where's Choji and Ino? Is Mr. Asuma coming too?"

"Troublesome, but no, I'm leading this mission. Or I was until I figured out I have no idea what's going on. You ever going to get any taller, kid?"

"Meanie!" Shani stuck her tongue out but smiled brightly as she dragged him back behind the curtains. Ordinarily she would've sat beside him on the sofa, but for now she was too anxious to sit still. So she went back to the curtain to watch and wait.

"So, Shani how is… everything over here?"

"Everything is great! You've been gone a long time, Shika. I guess you must be busy, huh?"

"I guess; say, did you guys get a male dancer since I was here last time?"

"Yep. We sure did, everybody likes him almost as much as they like Blaze! I guess that makes sense though, because she's the one who trained him to dance out there. His name's Bagheera and he was actually on stage tonight but he left with Naruto a while ago. I wish they'd hurry back! I want to know what's going on!"

"Bagheera?"

"Yep." She turned to look at him. "He almost died when we found him last year. Luckily mom saved him, but it took him almost a month to wake up and he couldn't remember anything- not even his name."

"I see." Shikamaru was doing his 'I'm thinking' pose so, she giggled and copied it.

"You do?"

"Yep, I think so. If Sasuke really has amnesia then that's why he disappeared so completely. I guess your mom must've kept things quiet around here to keep things from jogging his memory too- but why?"

"I don't understand- are you here with Naruto? So, you know Bagheera too?"

"Yeah, but Naruto and I knew him as Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke."

"He's an Uchiha?" She gasped allowing her eyes to widen as the news sunk in. "I thought they were all gone."

"Two left when there used to be almost one hundred? Yes, they're gone. So, why did you call him Bagheera? I mean, that was your idea, right?"

"Yeah. I think he likes it okay, but we had to name him something." Shani smiled, but it slipped when Shikamaru looked at her sadly. He was worried, she could feel it. "Something's wrong, isn't it?"

He hesitated and she came over to him, watching his eyes intently and trying to control the fear she felt.

"Well, I wanted to tell you that I uh… I think you are going to be coming to Konoha- at least for a while."

"Really?" She smiled, but she could see that only seemed to worry him more. "Mom always says we don't have time to do that! There's always something for her to do here, and-"

"I uh- Shani, your mom… she won't be able to come- and neither will Blaze..."

There were a million questions in her mind, as she started to cry, but her lips only managed one of them. "Why?"

"There's been a… an accident. You see-"

Shani bit back a sob, her mind was screaming no, but she knew he wouldn't lie to her. If he said something happened then it happened and she didn't want him to protect her like a little kid, she needed to know! This was her family and they were too important to her. "A-Are they- dead?"

He hesitated again, but nodded slowly and this time she couldn't stop the tears. Shikamaru tried to give her a hug, but it was awkward this time and she squirmed out of his arms, with a scowl. "I don't understand… Where's Bagheera? Is he- dead too?"

Shika shook his head, but Shani noticed immediately that he was hesitating again. "Why isn't he here? When can I see him? Where is he? Is he alright?"

"He was upset by what happened to your mom and Blaze, but Naruto went to find him, he'll bring Sasuke here. Naruto asked me to make sure you were okay."

Shani smiled a little, wiping tears away from her eyes as she thought of the tall, handsome blond that was obviously in love with her adoptive brother. "I knew I could trust him."

"Are you okay, Shani?" Shikamaru asked quietly, distracting her.

"I-I don't know…" Seeing the worried expression on his face made it seem final this time. Her mother and sister were really gone; this time when he reached for her, she clung to him tightly, sobbing until she fell asleep against his side.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I hope the third person perspective scenes don't throw anyone off too much, because they will continue showing up throught this story.


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